Following last Friday’s loss to Crespi, the Lancers face an uphill battle just to make the postseason with tough Mission League games left against Serra, Chaminade and Alemany.

If the Lancers don’t make the postseason, it will mark the fourth time in the past nine years that Amat didn’t even go dancing. Considering Amat was in a four or five-team league for most of the past decade, that’s saying something.

Heck, in one of the years Amat did make the playoffs, the Lancers needed the stars to align and a coin flip in their favor on the final night of the season just to make the dance.

This year was supposed to be different. Amat has one of its most-talented teams in quite some time, with three players receiving college offers from some of the top college football programs on the West Coast.

But “it” hasn’t happened. Amat is now 2-3. Who knows what to make of the Lancers’ big win in Texas over Aledo. The rout of Rancho Cucamonga looks less impressive now that La Serna just beat the Cougars and it’s looking like this isn’t one of the Rancho Cucamonga’s juggernaut teams.

Check out our Maxpreps Made Easy Widget for Tribune Football Fans. If coaches are posting rosters, updating stats and standings, this is the most useful SGV widget there is. Check it out, makes following your teams and area leaders simple.

Last Week: Aram and I both had a good week statistically, but we also missed opportunities for a super week. We both missed out by not taking Glendora over Charter Oak, La Sierra over Northview and La Canada over Rio Hondo Prep. We both thought Baldwin Park would beat Walnut and that Cypress would beat Diamond Bar. I got Aram taking Crespi over Bishop Amat and Pasadena Poly over Brentwood, but he got me back with California over Magnolia and Diamond Ranch over Cypress.This week: The Smudge Pot between San Dimas and Bonita lead the way and they’re both hot, both with one loss and playing in the middle of the season instead of the season opener as in recent years. One of San Dimas’ complaints in losing to Bonita last year and struggling in openers is they’re not as prepared as they would be for a mid-season game. I’m taking their word on that and picking San Dimas. For all the good they’ve done, like winning CIF titles, you have to believe San Dimas can’t stomach losing to their rival again. As bad as the situation looks for Bishop Amat, losing in heartbreaking fashion at Crespi in overtime, they’ve NEVER lost three straight during the regular 10-game season during the Steve Hagerty area. They have a good record of responding when their backs are to the wall and they’ve never been more back to the wall than now. Friday’s game is live on Fox West, it’s a 7:30 start and with all the cameras and bright lights on them, this is the type of game Amat wins.

By Fred J. RobledoWhen longtime Bishop Amat girls basketball coach Richard Wiard announced his sudden resignation on Sept. 5., while several administrators were in Texas tending to Bishop Amat’s road football game against Aledo, it left a huge void for the winningest girls basketball program in San Gabriel Valley history with the season just a few months away.
Replacing Wiard, who won 466 games in his 19-year career, including five CIF championships, five Southern California Regional championships and two state championships, is not an envious position for anyone.
But Bishop Amat found what appears to be a worthy successor in Treana Allen, whom the school hired on Wednesday, also making Allen the first African-American head coach in the school’s history.
Allen, who also will become a part-time faculty member, has an impressive resume on and off the court.
After graduating from Long Beach Poly in 1999 and a short stop at Cypress College, Allen transferred to Gonzaga and made an immediate impact from 2001-03, finishing seventh all-time in the school’s history in 3-pointers made (79) and tenth all-time in assists (212) and steals (115). She was named the Bulldog Club senior female athlete of the year in 2003 after guiding Gonzaga to a second-place finish in the West Coast Conference and was a WCC all-conference selection.Continue reading →

South Hills High School will hold a benefit dinner Saturday for alum and former Covina wrestling coach Randy Aguirre, who is battling brain cancer.
Fellowship of Christian Athletes is sponsoring the dinner, which is scheduled for Saturday at the South Hills gym from 6-9 p.m.
Aguirre was a 4-year letterman at South Hills and was captain his senior season. He also wrestled at Mt. San Antonio College and San Francisco State University. He was an assistant at South Hills before becoming the head coach at Covina and later Palisades.
The dinner will include door prizes and a silent auction. The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for kids ages 5-12. All proceeds are for for coach Aguirre and his family.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance at the South Hills ASB office.

Walnut’s Pauline Mendoza (3) reacts after scoring against Nogales in the first game of a prep volleyball match at Walnut High School in Walnut, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

WALNUT – Walnut High School is getting hot at the right time.
The Mustangs, after going through a five-match losing streak a few weeks ago, won for the fourth time in five matches Tuesday, sweeping Nogales, 25-14, 25-14, 25-21, in a nonleague match at home.
Kuuipo Vaimaona had eight kills and Pauline Mendoza seven to lead the Mustangs, who improved to 7-7. They face Wilson next week before opening up Hacienda League play vs. West Covina on Oct. 7.
Julianna Purcell and Annjoree Calvero-Sunga had five kills each for Nogales, which slipped to 4-2. The Nobles open Valle Vista League play next week at rival Rowland.Walnut’s Pauline Mendoza: “We started out kind of rough. But finally we got our rhythm and were able to succeed and get the lead. One main thing for us to work together is that we have to talk to each other. We continue talking, who is going to get the ball, calling for the ball, then we are able to overcome our (mistakes).”

Nogales’ Julianna Purcell: “I’m happy with the way my team played. We had a good match against Walnut, but they had good solid hits, but so did we. I think if we would have fought a little harder, we might have won.”

TRIBUNE SUPER 32 FOOTBALL RANKINGS1. Bishop Amat (2-2) — You can make an argument that Amat should drop after an embarrassing loss at Chino Hills, but you can make a better argument they still belong here.2. Charter Oak (2-2) – Here’s my prediction, Charter Oak won’t lose another game the rest of the year.3. San Dimas (3-1) — Saints are a legitimate No. 3. Next season it’s time for Bill Zernickow and crew to add Charter Oak to its schedule.4. Glendora (2-1) – Convinced Glendora is a Central contender, but not convinced it’s much more than that.5. Damien (2-1) — Biggest jump up the Trib rankings after dismantling of St. Paul and only loss to Charter Oak.6. Bonita (3-1) — Bearcats have improved since only loss to Monrovia. Test against San Dimas coming soon.7. Los Altos (2-2) – Conquerors haven’t won the game that makes you go, “wow.” Will it happen this week at Monrovia? Probably not.8. Diamond Ranch (3-1) — Considering only loss to Ayala, you have to say the post Roddy era is looking OK.9. Northview (4-0) — Did you ever think you would say after Week 3 Northview would be the only undefeated team in the Tribune area?10. Pomona (2-2) — They gave Colony a much tougher game that West Covina, losing in the final minutes.THE REST: 11. West Covina (2-2); 12. Diamond Bar (2-2), 13. Arroyo (3-1), 14. La Puente (2-2); 15. South Hills (1-3), 16. Baldwin Park (2-2); 17. Covina (1-2); 18. Walnut (1-3), 19. Bassett (2-2); 20. Ganesha (2-2); 21. Azusa (1-2); 22. Duarte (1-3), 23. El Monte (1-3), 24. Rosemead (0-4), 25. Wilson (1-2); 26. Rowland (1-2); 27. South El Monte (0-4), 28. Nogales (1-2), 29. Sierra Vista (1-2), 30. Mountain View (1-2), 31. Workman (1-2), 32. Gladstone (0-3).

Love the way Los Altos enters the stadium …

Check out our Maxpreps Made Easy Widget for Tribune Football Fans. If coaches are posting rosters, updating stats and standings, this is the most useful SGV widget there is. Check it out, makes following your teams and area leaders simple.

“Once we understood students would have to ride on the bus for four hours, warm-up, play the game and travel back four hours, we looked at what’s in the best interest of the students and the long bus rides didn’t seem to be in the best interest of the kids.” — Fernando Meza, the Administrative Director at Pomona Unified School District,

My thoughts: The explanations don’t cut it. Why schedule a game in August then decide a week before it’s played not to play it because of travel cost? Or travel time? When I learned Mission Prep offered to pay for the trip, not sure I was convinced with the Pomona Unified School District’s answer that the long bus ride wasn’t in the best interest of the kids. Mission Prep is making four trips the same length and teams are traveling out of state to play high school football. If someone offers to pay your travel cost once a game already is established, isn’t it the right thing to at least play? Wouldn’t you owe Mission Prep that, who is forced to miss a game that already was agreed upon? You decide, I welcome your comments.

Bishop Amat was No. 9 last week, crushes Rancho Cucamonga 46-17 then drops from the top ten? Well, at least they got something right, looked terrible that Amat was ranked last week while Santa Margarita was not. Well, at least someone’s drinking their Margarita’s again.

Lookie here, Monrovia No. 1 with Charter Oak No. 3 and West Covina No. 4. After the ‘Cats get whipped by St. Francis Friday, Charter Oak will be back on top where it belongs.

San Dimas is No. 1 but officially, Pomona is No. 3 and 2-1. Pomona given a forfeit loss for not attending last week’s game at Mission prep.

Check out our Maxpreps Made Easy Widget for Tribune Football Fans. If coaches are posting rosters, updating stats and standings, this is the most useful SGV widget there is. Check it out, makes following your teams and area leaders simple.

The game: In this year’s Tribskin Pick’em, Aram will I will do it a little differently. We’ll pick all games from the SGVN coverage areas of the Tribune, Whittier Daily News and Pasadena Star-News for an all-encompassing, all-out bragging right for 2014, since nobody ever pays the dinner bet. I won last year, ending Aram’s two-year win streak.Head-2-Head
Aram Tolegian (Last Week: 31-10; Season Total: 91-29)
Fred Robledo (Last Week 29-12; Season Total: 83-37)

Last Week:
Aram picked up a couple more games, his big difference makers were taking San Gorgonio over Glendora, Glendale over La Canada, and Bassett over El Monte.This week: Great games in the Pasadena area and is good as Monrovia’s looked, I like St. Francis over the ‘Cats and La Salle over Maranatha. Glendora at Los Altos is intriguing, but this is where Glendora flexes its muscle. Also like Bishop Amat easy over Chino Hills and San Dimas easy over Rosemead. In Whittier, gotta take La Habra over La Mirada, also like Damien over St. Paul.

There are probably other outside sporting events postponed and practices cancelled today because of the excessive heat in the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas. If you know of more, leave in the comment section or send me a tweet @sgvnsports

FYI….
Tuesdays Palomares League Meet #1 has been canceled due to the expectation of extreme heat.
A new date… http://t.co/vJVgIdZWYk

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